In My Mailbox - Week 12

"In My Mailbox" is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's to show you all what amazing books I bought/borrowed/received etc. this week!

Because of exams, I'm doing what I got in the past few weeks, and I'm really excited to show you all!


For Review:

How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)


**Thank you to Gary Ghislain for sending How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend to me!**


eBooks For Review:

Sister Mischief by Laura Goode (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)
Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)


**Via NetGalley**


"Bought":


(Reason I say "bought" because it was for free on Sony Reader Store!)

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)


From Library:


(sorry for the blurry pic!)

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)
Flyaway by Lucy Christopher (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)


Well, that's all I got for these past weeks! Exams are now over, which means I can blog regularly without a mixed schedule now :D. What did you get this week? Leave a link/comment!

Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse

Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse

Published: 1st March, 2010

Publisher: Chicken House

Rating: YA 13+

Source: Library

Goodreads ❘ Amazon

"Wonder Twins" on the run--and running amok--in Vegas. Road Trip!

Paisley and Beau are boldface names again. Last time, paparazzi called them the "Wonder Twins," two kids found alone but alive in the woods of exotic New Jersey. Three days after their mom's death -- and before their dad's criminal misdeeds.

Flash-forward to now: Their so-called lives? Suck out loud: Hating on their cougarized, Botoxic grandma, they're totally clueless about the location of ex-con Daddy. Till they discover a stash of old letters. That's when they decide to jack the Pontiac and hit the road. Holding up donut shops in Sin City might seem extreme, but if they can just get their pretty bad faces back on TV -- or TMZ -- they might wrap up their whole gaga saga with an Oprah-worthy reunion already!

I didn't really know what to expect from Pretty Bad Things. It didn't give away too much, I didn't get anything from the first two pages, BUT interesting? it certainly was.

I mean, I first saw the cover and I LOVED it. And then I realised my school library had it (except in the other cover, which I didn't like as much). I grabbed it before one of my friends could (I'm such a nice person right?) and went home and started reading it.

Hmmm...

I really loved the writing. Paisley was hilarious, but I got confused at first at the shift between who was telling the story. I loved that attitude of hers! It made me laugh loads of times. Beau is a nice contrast to his sister; he's quiet, shy and not one for talking. I love that the girl is the loud, spunky one and the guy is solemn, soft spoken one :) What a difference from most books!

I loved the setting of Vegas, and it seemed so vibrant, just full of life, and the perfect setting for a long-lost dad and a crime shopping spree. I've never been to Vegas, but with the author's writing I felt transported to this setting. I could really feel like I was there. I love it when authors can do that.

However, I did find the Grandma...kinda weird and crazy. I mean, I think that the book was really funny as well with the Grandma in it, but I think it might have been a bit too extreme. I mean, true, this is fiction, but who's Grandma is really like that? Crazy and just a bit too obsessed with herself and money. Creepy.

I noticed that in the beginning of the book there was the note from the publisher. She mentions that the main character in The Catcher in the Rye is kinda like Paisley. Is that true? I have no idea, since I haven't read the book, but people out there who have: Is it a book worth reading? I might consider it :).

Overall, I think Pretty Bad Things is a...different outlook on life and troubles, especially family troubles. C.J. Skuse has written an amazing, funny, and "touching" book of what life's like...on the wild side.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Shine by Lauren Myracle


Publishing Date: 1st May, 2011
Publisher: Amulet Books
Rating: YA 14+
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads ❘ Amazon

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. 

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

**This review is based on an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy). Some things may be different in the final print! Includes some spoilers**

Wowie.

This one is FABULOUSLY written! I have never read any of Lauren Myracle's books, only the short story she wrote "The Corsage" in Prom Nights from Hell. That story was seriously creepy...kinda like this one! The detail was so rich in this story, and the words just flowed. I had to read this in one sitting, because the suspense in WHO did it was just too hard not to want to know...if you understand what I mean.


Shine is set in the south, and it's portrayed quite...darkly. I mean, the only other books I've read (which I can name off the top of my head) which was set in the south was Beautiful Creatures and In Front of God and Everybody. Both were quite flimsy in portrayal, as I can compare from reading Shine. It's quite brooding, dark, mysterious (I'm not sure what it's REALLY like, I'm pretty sure not so much like it's described, but then again, I haven't been there have I?) and it just kinda gives me shivers thinking about it. I love it when authors can do that. It's like getting the full effect of the story, transported to the south and actually feeling what it's like living there through our protagonist's eyes. With poverty, drugs (Meth plays a part here) and secrets, we can feel Cat's uneasiness with the different characters she interacts with.


Cat is amazing! I love her character. She's determined to find out who did the horrible things to her best friend, and I really think that's REAL determination. She's just this shy character, who's fallen away from her friends and doesn't talk to anyone much. She opens up her shell to find out what happened and I find that amazingly strong for a girl with a past like that.
Speaking of which, I didn't like one thing in this story. The part where Cat reveals the event in which lead her to stay away from most people, was quite disturbing. I mean, it was kinda detailed and I kinda got freaked out, so I had to skip a bunch of lines and keep reading past that event. It's such a strong event though, that was can feel her emotions, how scared she is, but I think it was too overwhelming for me. This was the only part I hated from the story.
I find Cat's relationship with her family quite sad, as her mom died, her father's a drunk, her aunt doesn't pay much attention to her and her brother, Christian, seems the most attentive and protective over her out of the whole family, yet he still hangs out with the wrong crowd. It's all pretty sad and we can see how important Patrick was for her and how his friendship with her helped her kind of overcome that.


Now, onto the Mystery of the story. I love how all characters contribute some sort of information towards the crime and what happened that night, and that the small detail pieces everything together. The ending with the motive and all took me quite by surprise, but maybe that's because I don't usually read many mysteries other than reading an occasional Agatha Christie. I kind of had a 'gut-feeling' though, I thought maybe that the one who actually did do it, did it, but then pushed that away and had other thoughts. It was such a big twist though, how everything turns out in the end.


Overall, I thought that Shine is an interesting insight on a very different lifestyle, with a deadly mystery with a hint of hope and a happy ending. Lauren Myracle has written an amazing YA book, and it's enough to convince me to read more of her. Dark, Beautiful and Profound, Shine is not a book to be taken lightly.

Interview with Shelley Workinger

Today, I'm thrilled that Shelley Workinger, the author of the YA book series Solid, has been amazing enough to stop by at Confessions of a Readaholic to answer some questions :) Her first book in the series, Solid is AWESOME (My Review here) and I can't wait to read the upcoming sequel, Settling which is due on July 4th, 2011. Without further ado, here's Shelley Workinger!

Random Questions:

What type of music do you like listening to?

All of it – even if I don’t like the style to start, I can often be won over by the lyrics.

What’s your favorite book of all time?

“The Book Thief” by Marcus Zusak – I can’t even fully express how much I love that book.

What’s a book you’ve read recently?

Right now I’m reading Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

I don’t like ice cream – I know, it’s blasphemous. I don’t like cake, either!

Favorite Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean (1^st one) (LOVE this movie too!)

Favorite TV Series: Survivor

Favorite Actor: Ian Somerhalder, and not just because he’s ridiculously good looking ☺

Dream Vacation Spot? Moscow

Serious Questions:

Did you always want to be a writer?

No, I never wanted to be a writer – I wanted to be a judge until I got to college and found out you had to practice law first; I wanted to do the ruling, but not the arguing ☺

Which character do you see yourself in? Where did you get the inspiration for your characters?

I spread my flaws fairly evenly across all of the characters so that nobody I knew would get offended. When you tell a story in the first person, people tend to attach the protagonist’s traits with the writers, but I’m not that much like Clio; I definitely did not have her confidence at that age.

What do you hope readers take from your book?

My initial motivation was to reach the early teen readers who are starting to get so overwhelmed by required reading that they risk losing a love for pleasure reading. I hope this grabs some of those reluctant readers and reminds them that so many books are just fun.

What can readers expect from the upcoming sequel, “Settling”?

“Settling” is a bit messier than “Solid.” As the characters really begin to settle into their lives after the shock of “Solid,” nothing is easy – especially when there’s a killer on campus who’s trying to drive them away.

Anything else you want to add?

Thank you so much for your interest in "Solid" and giving me the opportunity to speak with your blog followers; I know we all have dozens of books on our TBR lists and I am so appreciative for your consideration of mine!

Thank you so much to Shelley Workinger for taking time to answer these questions and I can't WAIT for Settling to come out. It seems as promising as Solid! Here's the Blurb!

At the beginning of the summer, Clio Kaid was one of a hundred teens brought to a secret Army installation. But it was no ordinary camp and they weren’t ordinary kids…  Soon after learning they were the products of a secret genetic experiment, the teens began developing super-abilities ranging from bounding lightness to blocking heaviness; blinding brilliance and the ability to vanish. These same gifts made them targets of a psychopath in officer’s clothing, and they found themselves fighting for their lives. Picking up where “Solid” left off, Clio and her friends realize that they aren’t ready to go home; they’re determined to stay on campus and continue their journey of self- discovery. But someone doesn’t feel the same way and will do anything to drive them away – even kill. Friendships will be tested, abilities will evolve, and more secrets will come out as the teens race to stop the killer before he sets his sights on one of them…

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